Car seal



Aug. 27, 1957 G. G. cANTER ETAL 'CAR SEAL Filed oct. 25, 1956 IN VEN TORS United States Patent C CAR SEAL George G. Canter and Gilbert G. Canter, New York, N. Y.

Application October 25, 1956, Serial No. 618,235

6 Claims. (Cl. 292-317) This invention relates to an improvement in seals, more particularly those of the type known as car seals.

The general object of the invention is to provide a seal which will afford a high degree of protection and which can be formed entirely of sheet metal and which'may be made in one piece, thereby permitting said seal to be manufactured very inexpensively.

Another object of the invention is to improve the locking structure of the seal so that it locks with greater security and closes with greater ease.

Other objects and advantages will in part be evident from and in part will be pointed out in the course of the following detailed description of the present preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a formed blank from which the seal is made;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the terminal section folded over onto the top half of the seal;

Fig. 3 is a plan view lshowing the locking end of the seal in completed form;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken along the line 5 5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section taken along the line 6 6 of Fig. 3 with the strap end in fully locked position;

Fig. 7 is a section taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 8 is a section taken along the line 8-8 of Figs. l and 4.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings, a one piece blank as shown comprises a strap or shackle 9, the lower end 10 of which is reduced in width and contains a square locking aperture 11, a generally oblong shaped bulge 12 above said locking aperture 11 and an oblong depression 13 above said bulge 12 which partially ex tends beyond the end 10. A hole 15 is formed on the strap adjacent the reduced end 10 and provides a means for Stringing the seals in bundles, as is usual. At the upper end the seal blank has a terminal portion generally indicated at 16, a top section generally indicated at 17 and a bottom section generally indicated at 18.

The terminal portion is formed with an upwardly extending wing 19 having an outwardly extending shouldered locking spur 20 struck up from said wing and providing `an aperture 21. The terminal portion is centrally arched as indicated at 22 and below said arched portion it is formed with laterally extending wings, an outwardly extending bridge 24 between said wings and a longitudinal raised section 25 extending from bridge 24 to a transversely extending rectangular aperture 26. The terminal portion is adapted to be folded over on top section 17 along fold line 27 transversely of the blank.

The top section 17 is of somewhat greater width than the terminal portion and is formed with outwardly extending Wings 28 and an inverted longitudinally extending trough-like portion 29, in the lower end of which is an ICC inverted dimple 30, of greater depth than the trough. As shown in Figs. 4 and 7, the wings 28 are bent upwardly and outwardly to form anges 31.

The bottom section 18 is separated from the top section 17 by a neck portion 34 which at its opposite ends provides with the top section and bottom section fold lines 32 and 33 respectively. The opposite edge portions of bottom section 18 are folded upwardly at right angles to provide flanges 35 as best seen in Figure 4. The bottom section between the flanges 35 is formed with a rectangular depression 38 having a small circular dimple in the center thereof and an additional deeper depression Vform two right angle bends.

41 immediately below the depression 38. Where the bottom section connects with the main'portion of the strap 9, the blank is formed with step-like entrance grooves 42,43 beginning at the bottom edge of depression 41 and merging into the strap 9, the conguratio being best shown in Figure 8.

, The seal as shown in Figs. 3 and 6 is completed as follows: The terminal portion is folded over on the top section by forming two right angle bends along fold line 26 and the upper edge of the top section. When folded in this manner, the raised section 25 comes to rest on the trough-like portion 29, the aperture 21 engages the inverted dimple 30, the outermost portion of wing 19 comes to rest on the lower slope of said dimple 30 and wings 2,3 come to rest on the flanges 31. Y

After the terminal portion has been folded over on the top section 17, the folded over terminal section 16 and top section 17 are next folded over on the bottom section 18 by bending them along fold lines 32 and 33 to The section of metal 34 which lies between fold lines 32 and 33 forms the rear closure of the seal. When thus folded the flanges 31 of top section 17 come to rest on the inner face of bottom section 18, the tip of the locking spur 20 comes to rest on the forward slope of dimple 39 a-nd 'the bridge 24 comes to rest in the rectangular depression 41 as shown in Fig. 6. The seal is completed by turning the flanges 35 of the bottom section 18 inwardly and crimping them over the flanges 31 of the top section 17. These crimped anges 35 may be indented at several points 36 and grooved with scores 37 so as to make it impossible to pry open the seal without breaking the anges which will give clear evidence of tampering.

Operation Referring now to Fig. 6, as the strap end 10 is inserted into the locking chamber, bulge 12 engages the central entrance groove 42 and the opposite edges of the strap end 10 engage the outer entrance grooves 43. The strap end 10 then passes through the entrance bridge 24, whereupon it is directed downwardly and exes the locking :spur in an upward direction until said locking spur 20 engages and passes through the locking aperture 11 and comes to rest on the upper slope of the dimple 30. The parts are now in locked engagement and it is apparent that it is impossible to withdraw the strap without destroying the seal.

By the present invention greater protection than that heretofore provided by car seals is thus obtainable by the cooperation of the inverted dimple 30 which exerts positive pressure on locking spur 20 and the dimple 39 in which said locking spur is seated. Any attempt at withdrawal will force the locking spur further into and against the opposite face of the dimple 39, beyond which the strap cannot be moved.

While there has been shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be understood that changes in details of construction may be made within the range of mechanical or engineering skill without departing from the spirit of the invention.

l 3 What is claimed is: t 1. A seal of the type described comprising, a strap having adjacent one end an aperture and at its other end in sucession aj terminal portion,-a top portion rand a bot# tom portion, `said terminal; portion being Aformed-with anV outwardly extending locking-spur and entrancebridge and being folded over on saidstop portion, said'tOpPore tion `having a concavity on its outer surface and said terminal portionand ,top portion beingfolded over on said bottom portion, `said bottom `portionbeing `formed witha 'longitudinal depressioninwhich is` a secondary recess which accommodates said locking .spur and an additional longitudinal `depression lof g greater depth ythan and Yimmediately `below v saiddirst` depression,` which .-ac-L commodates said entrance bridge,said top and bottom portionshaving theirledges folded andinterlocled whereby said folded r over portions 4form a box into which .said rst endportion of thestrapiszinsertablef for `engagement of said locking spur through said aperture ,to lock :the

Scali 4 2. A seal Yof the type described-comprising@ strap having adjacent. one yend an :aperture and at lits Aother end Ain succession a terminal portion, .a f top portion and portionbeing Afoldedover on saidbottomportion, saidv bottom portion beingformed with alongitudinal depression inwhich is a secondary recess which accommodates said locking spur and an additionallongitudinal depression, of greater depth-than and .immediately .below said rst depression, which accommodates saidentrance bridge, j

the edges otsaid bottom portion being foldedover the flanges of ,saidtop sectionand interlocked wherebylsaid folded over portions form a box into whichsaidiirst `end 3. A seal according to claim 2 wherein the edges of the box formed by the folding and interlocking of the `edges of the bottom section over the flanges of the oblong bulge adjacent thereto inwardly from said end portion of the straptis .insertable for` engagement of said locking spur through said aperture to lock the seal.

and wherein the bottom portion of the other end of the strap is` formed with entrance grooves which extend from the -lower longitudinal ydepression into the strap proper and accommodate the oblong bulge and edges of said irstendof the strap.

5. A seal of the type described comprising a strap having adjacent one end an aperture and at its other end in succession a terminal portion, a top portion and a bottom portion, said terminal portion being formed with an outwardlyextending .lockingr'spur' and entrance bridge and being folded over on saidtopportion, said,

top portion having anginverted trough-like portion Vextending throughout the lengthfofits outer surface .and upstanding side walls with laterally 'extending angesy and saidfolded terminal portionand toprportion being `folded over on `said bottom portion, said bottom portion being formedin its upper surface `witha1longitudinal depression having .a dimplertherein which. accommodates said locking spur, and an additional longitudinal depression, of j greater depth than andimrnediately belowsaid rst depression, which `accommodates .said .entrance bridge, the edges of said bottomportionbeing folded over the flanges of Said top portion whereby .said folded over portions form albox into which said Viirst end portion ,of the strap is insertable for engagement of said locking spur through said aperture to lock the seal.

` 6. `A* seal according to claim 5` wherein the bottom of the trough-likeportion.onrthe outer surface of said top portion is-formed with an inverteddimple.

No references cited. 

